Seasons Change
by smallboxes
Summary: When they were fifteen, Josh liked to lecture a lot and Drake thought maybe his new stepbrother just liked hearing the sound of his own voice.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Drake & Josh_, am making no profit, and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary**: A look at the friendship/brotherhood Drake & Josh have endured through all these years and what would happen to them when high school is over.

* * *

**Seasons Change (And So Did I) **

--

He didn't like to think in long-term because it generally gave him a headache.

But Josh needed a plan, thrived on mapping out every aspect of his life. It made Drake depressed, to be honest, and he didn't see the point. Let's have fun _now_, he would urge as he pulled on Josh's sleeve like a little kid. I'll grab the cheese and you dig the lawn darts out of the garage – it'll be fun!

Josh rolled his eyes, threw his planner on the desk, and made Drake promise they were going to study after dinner.

_Yeah, yeah, whatever._

_-- _

When they were fifteen, Josh liked to lecture a lot and Drake thought maybe his new step-brother just liked hearing the sound of his own voice. A stern speech about why it would just be easier to get homework done first and then play later passed easily through his ears like the basketball Drake would swish in the net on the driveway while Josh sulked and earnestly typed out his book reports.

They were both still trying to figure out this whole brother thing and Drake couldn't imagine ever associating with someone who would rather do magic tricks on a Saturday night than talk to a girl.

--

Sixteen came around soon enough and Drake was irritated at the amount of time he spent with Josh. Not that they weren't best friends; brothers from another mother, absolutely.

There was such a thing as hanging out _too_ much and he just wanted some Drake Time. Nothing wrong with that…until Drew got involved. And then it was all _"Drew can play the saxaphone!"_ and _"Sorry, Drew likes Bobobees too."_

But hanging out with Jerry was no picnic either because as much as the funny, dorky boy reminded him so much of Josh, Drake knew deep down that there's no way he could be a replacement.

He just didn't want to be the first to admit it.

--

Seventeen candles were blown out on the next birthday cakes and the boys were inseparable, as always. It was different that year, like there was a comfortable ease in the way they glided through each day; sometimes together, sometimes not.

Drake liked to remember it as the year they finally got Megan, way better than that stupid alien prank that ended up backfiring on them anyway. Both he and Josh relished in the way their evil little sister wallowed as she wandered around the house, aimless and muttering something about "_losing my touch_" and "_those stupid boobs_".

Megan got them back ten times worse, of course. It was a pretty elaborate prank involving syrup, rope, and baby pigs. They didn't like to talk about it.

--

Josh turned eighteen first, right around the time college applications were due to be mailed out.

"What do you _mean_ you haven't even filled one out?!"

"This is news to you? Have you _met_ me?"

"How do you expect to get into college?"

"The only reason I would be on a college campus is to play with my band and to make-out with cute girls and to visit you every once in awhile. C'mon man, I am not headed for Ivy League."

But Josh was and a giant acceptance packet from Harvard confirmed it three months later. Drake gave him a lopsided smile and ignored his sudden stomachache as Josh ran around the living room, whooping and hollering.

Audrey dabbed her eyes and Walter's face looked like it was going to split in half from the grin that stretched from ear to ear. Megan told him that "you were always the smarter boob" while she shook his hand begrudgingly.

Drake just tried not to throw up when Josh practically squeezed the life out of him in a giant, bone-crushing hug.

--

Josh had managed the band for as long as he could and it'd been an angry day when he stubbornly quit, over Drake's insufferable whining. There'd been a lot of slamming doors and quiet, frustrated stares at the dinner table; it looked like it was going to be a very long two weeks.

However, it was _Harvard_ and even Drake saw the importance in that eventually, so he made sure to make up with his brother before he left. He walked into the bedroom they shared, three nights before Josh was due to leave, and his eyes ping-ponged to each box that was taped up with Josh's belongings.

His mind wandered to an odd flashback of when Josh first moved in and had dropped his duffel bag excitedly on the coffee table.

"_How much junk did you bring?"_

Josh wasn't even gone yet and the room felt emptier than it had before he moved in.

"You're going to write me, right?"

Josh finished stretching the clear packing tape and looked at the wooden floor before making eye contact. Drake didn't even realize he was holding his breath until Josh gave him an impish smile.

"Try and stop me."

--

They saw each other less frequently now and it created a hole inside Drake's chest when he wasn't looking. There wasn't time to dwell on things like that though. His band was signed by Spin City Records, which only proved Josh's theory of who the lucky brother was (well, duh - he's _Drake_).

Ironically enough, the first gig his new manager, Scott, scored was a mini-college tour on the East coast. Something about his cousin having connections to a bunch of deans out there; Drake hadn't really been paying attention, as he was trying to discreetly text message Josh under the large conference table.

"Drake, " Gary, his drummer, said as he poked Drake in the side. "Doesn't Josh go to Harvard?"

"What? Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"

"We're gonna stop there, for a few nights at least," Gary told him, fingering the edge of the blouse he'd borrowed from his sister.

Drake couldn't stop the smile that brightened up his face, couldn't quell the excitement bubbling inside his chest. Catching himself, he tried covering it up with a few coughs and a quick swish of his head to move the long, auburn hair out of his eyes.

"Cool," Drake replied as he slid down more comfortably in the plush, swivel chair. When everybody gave their attention back to Scott, he brought his cell phone out of his pocket again and covertly typed out a new message.

_Heading 2 harverd. ny here I come!_

The phone buzzed back a few minutes later.

_Wahoooooo! But come 2 boston where me and harvard r_

_-- _

Drake couldn't explain the nerves that invaded his gut when he finally reached Josh's dorm. They hadn't seen each other since Thanksgiving and Christmas was fast approaching; Drake had actually seen his breath form in front of him as he walked into the building while trying to avoid snow. Actual, honest to god _snow_.

The sound of the door creaking open surprised him and he stepped back a little before realizing that Josh was standing in front of him. He couldn't get the words out fast enough before Josh's arms were around the broad expanse of his back, slightly lifting his feet off the dull, carpeted floor.

"Hug me, brotha!"

Josh held tight before setting Drake down and quickly ushered him in as he shut the door.

"How you been Drake? Geez, you look even tanner than you did last time I was at home. Lucky you, probably at the beach all the time." Josh paused to take a breath and then gave Drake another quick hug. "I missed you so much dude!"

Drake laughed and lightly punched Josh on the shoulder when he let go. "Man, you have _snow_! How crazy is that?"

"I know!" Josh exclaimed, his eyes immediately trailing to the window. Drake's eyes followed and as if on cue, tiny snowflakes started to pile up on the windowsill. Josh paused again before looking back at Drake with wildly lit up eyes. "Hey, you wanna go make snow angels?"

"Dude," Drake said, his voice on autopilot as it tried to quash a dorky idea of his brother's. Josh was in college, _Ivy League_ for cripe's sake. What if hot girls walked by or somebody saw them and laughed?

But he stole another look out the window and saw a branch that finally caved under the weight of the white powder. A few kids ran by with sleds, their laughter sounding faint in the tiny room. Some college-aged kids followed not far behind and Drake could see grins stretching out their scarlet-colored cheeks, raw from windburn. It _did_ look like they were having fun.

"It's okay, we don't have to," Josh was saying now, breaking Drake's little daydream. "I'm sure you're tired from the ride up- "

"First one outside has to tell Walter about the stolen Swiss chocolates!" Drake interrupted as he tore out the door.

"That was _you_!"

Josh caught up with Drake on the stairwell and they each ran outside, with Drake mere centimeters ahead. It didn't matter though; Josh tackled him into the cold, wet snow and Drake was laughing too hard to realize that a leather jacket was hardly proper snow angel gear.

What mattered was that they were Drake and Josh, and that was more than enough.

* * *

**FIN. **


End file.
